“It was to make sure we’re in the same boat,” Gasol said in a quiet moment Thursday after the Lakers’ practice. “We’re trying to reach the same goal. Let’s communicate. Hopefully, we can meet halfway on some points.”

D’Antoni was the initiator of the meeting, suggesting they get dinner, something he would do with players individually from time to time. Was he making sure he wasn’t “losing” Gasol?

“I didn’t think I was,” D’Antoni told The Times. “But I wanted to make sure he knew what my vision was for him and the team and see if that’s all good. Then we’ll tweak it or not tweak it.

“I thought he was great and gave me a lot of insight into a lot of things. It was more of a feeling-out process and what makes him feel comfortable. He’s a very intelligent basketball player. Why wouldn’t I get his opinion about a lot of things?”

Pau doesn’t want to be making love to that bench in crunch time and wants more post ups. D’Antoni needs to tweak his system a bit because Gasol is not an athletic power forward.

Nash is on the way back and the Lakers hope that will solve a lot of their problems.